God's Word in Despair

The word despair brings to mind families devasted by abuse or the death of a child, people who have lost their jobs and homes, people who are persecuted or daily live in fear of violence, others who had a spouse walk out or a loved one enslaved to drugs, alcohol, gambling, or pornography, or someone facing serious health issues. Many more circumstances could be added to the list, but one commonality is a feeling of hopelessness, a feeling of despair.

We tend to discount situations that don’t seem as bad as someone else’s, but despair is not confined to only the most serious circumstances. As we come to Psalm 119:25-32 today, we are not specifically told what the psalmist was experiencing. We don’t even know the identity of the psalmist. Because the psalmist is not specific, the truths he shares can speak into the despair and sorrow in each of our lives. And if you aren’t experiencing despair and sorrow right now, let the truth in these verses help you walk with someone who is.

25 My soul clings to the dust;

give me life according to your word!

26 When I told of my ways, you answered me;

teach me your statutes!

27 Make me understand the way of your precepts,

and I will meditate on your wondrous works.

28 My soul melts away for sorrow;

strengthen me according to your word!

29 Put false ways far from me

and graciously teach me your law!

30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness;

I set your rules before me.

31 I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;

let me not be put to shame!

32 I will run in the way of your commandments

when you enlarge my heart![1]

Psalm 119:25-32

If you’ve read through or even paged through your Bible, you probably noticed that Psalm 119 is the longest of the psalms. Verse 97 captures the theme of Psalm 119: “Oh how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.” The psalmist loves God’s Word and the instruction from it. Our verses today are part of that theme. The psalmist understands that even in despair and sorrow, what he needs most is God and God’s Word. Are you ready to study?

My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to Your Word (vs 25). The Hebrew word for clings (dāḇaq, also used in verse 31) can be translated as cleave to, stay close, or pursue closely. The word dust was used to indicate mourning, humiliation, or being near death. In this phrase “my soul clings to the dust,” the psalmist expresses the anguish and despair in his inner spirit. This is a deep despair, and from this place of despair, the psalmist cries out to God to give him life according to God’s Word.

I often take God’s Word for granted. The psalmist didn’t. Even in his despair, he knew what he needed most. He knew what would revive him. He knew the power of God’s Word to renew his life. There are numerous things we turn to in our sorrow, suffering, and despair. We forget the thing we need the most – God and His Word. We need to be reminded of the Gospel, who God is, who we are in Christ, that there is no condemnation for those in Christ, that nothing can separate us from the love of God, that God will complete the work He has begun in us, and that Jesus has prepared a place for us with Him in eternity. These and other truths in Scripture instill hope in our despair; they bring renewed life when our souls are clinging to the dust in despair.

When I told of my ways, You answered me; teach me Your statues! Make me understand the way of Your precepts, and I will meditate on Your wondrous works (vs 26-27). The psalmist tells God his ways. He freely confessed everything to God who knows all things. He examined his life before God. The psalmist talks to God. When we feel overwhelmed with despair, we may not feel like opening God’s Word, but we can go to Him in prayer. We can confess what we are feeling, and we can ask Him to help us learn from His Word. We can be encouraged that God answers our prayers as He did for the psalmist.

The psalmist asked God to make him understand His Word. When we are in the throes of despair, it can be difficult for our confessional theology to line up with our functional theology. For example, we may confess or have the head knowledge that God is good, but our circumstances tempt us to doubt God’s goodness. We need a deeper understanding, and the psalmist demonstrates that it is okay to ask God to give us understanding.

“It is concerned with a deep understanding, one that goes beyond a mere understanding of the words to a profound understanding of what they reveal about the nature of God, the Gospel, and God’s ways.” (Boice)[2]

The psalmist also meditated on God’s wondrous works. We can meditate on God’s wondrous works in our own lives, but if we look at this statement in context, we are to meditate specifically on God’s wondrous works found in Scripture. When we are in despair, we may struggle to see God’s wondrous works in our own lives, but if we read Scripture, God’s wondrous works are displayed throughout His Word. They are right there to remind and encourage us of who God is, what He has done, and who we are in Christ.

My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to Your word! (vs 28) The Hebrew word for melts is used only three times in the Old Testament. It is also translated as “to pour out” or “to weep.” The psalmist again is pouring out his despair and sorrow before God. Although we don’t want to wallow in our despair and sorrow, taking it to God is not always a one-and-done deal. Our loving Father won’t turn us away because we are broken and helpless before Him, because we are weak and in need of His strength. The psalmist is humbly admitting his weakness and dependence on God to be lifted from his despair and sorrow. The psalmist didn’t look to himself, others, or things for strength in his sorrow. He looked to God to strengthen him through God’s Word. We too need to let the weight of our sorrow lead us to the throne of grace for the help we need (Hebrews 4:16).

Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me Your law! (vs 29) Times of despair can present temptations to sin. The psalmist was aware of possible temptations, particularly false ways, lying, or deception. Falsehood may have been a personal sin struggle for the psalmist. Sometimes, not always, sin can be what leads us into despair. Or we respond to our despair with falsehood like telling ourselves and others we can handle it. We don’t need God. We don’t need help. In that case, we should ask for help in putting that sin far from us. I also think that in times of despair we can be tempted to believe falsehood, to believe lies about who God is, who we are, and where are hope rests. We doubt God’s goodness and the truth of the Gospel. Left to ourselves, we choose false ways, so the psalmist asks God to graciously teach him God’s law. We need God’s truth to replace false ways.

I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set Your rules before me (vs 30). Here the psalmist makes a deliberate and continual choice to be faithful and to keep God’s Word before him. Yes, God is at work in our despair. He can lift us out of it, but the means He uses in this passage is His Word. God’s Word doesn’t float invisibly through the air from its place on our bookshelf into our minds and hearts while we passively wait. We must choose to read and hear His Word. I know this can be difficult in times of despair, but we can take even small steps towards reading. We can listen to an online sermon from our church. Ask a friend to read to us or even text a verse each day we can meditate on. There are different Bible apps and websites that will automatically send Scripture daily. Take a small step to begin to hide God’s Word in your heart, and then grow in reading and meditating (vs 27) on Scripture.

I cling to Your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame! (vs 31) Cling is the same word used in verse 25, but in verse 25, the psalmist was clinging to the dust. He was in despair. Now, in verse 31, he is clinging to God’s Word. His hope is in God and His Word.

I will run in the way of Your commandments when You enlarge my heart! (vs 32) In the final line of this section, the psalmist presents the journey from clinging to the dust in despair to running in the way of God’s commandments. The psalmist perseveres in the way of faithfulness and keeping God’s Word before him. He looks to God who can enlarge his heart. This is an interesting phrase. I read an alternate translation, “for you set my heart free.” This could mean God set the psalmist’s heart free from despair, but I also read that the Hebrew could mean God made the psalmist’s heart strong and steadfast. Either way, the psalmist is dependent on God. His ability to run in God’s commandments comes from God.

Most of us will experience varying degrees of despair at some time in our lives, but there is hope in God and His Word. God’s Word instills life and strength. It brings us from the dust of despair to running in His commandments.

Reflection

1. Have you ever felt like you were clinging to the dust in despair or that your soul was melting from sorrow? Who or what did you turn to in your despair?

2. Identify where you are most tempted to sin in your despair and sorrow. What is one specific way you can guard against temptation?

3. Have you made a choice to set God’s Word before you and to meditate on it? Persevering in this commitment now can help you when those times of despair come. If you haven't made the choice to set God’s Word before you, what are steps you can take to do this – make a Bible reading plan, reminders, getting a friend to read the same plan and discuss it with you?

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 119:25–32. [2] David Guzik, Psalms, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), Ps 119:26–27.